Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cad” come from?

Caddie comes from French cadet, which derives from Latin caput meaning "head," with the diminutive suffix -culum.

cad (English): A low-bred, presuming person; a mean, vulgar...

Definitions

  1. A low-bred, presuming person; a mean, vulgar...

Ancestry of “cad”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcaddieA golfer's assistant and adviser; Alternative...
2Scotscaddiecaddie; A youth or boy who does odd jobs
3Frenchcadetyoungest; cadet, student officer; junior...
4Frenchcapdetchief, captain
5Latincapitellumsmall head; capital or chapiter of a column
6Latin-ellusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine...
7Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
8Proto-Italic-olos—
9Proto-Italic-elos—
10Proto-Indo-European-e-lós—
11Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “cad”

  • caddish
  • caddishness
  • caddishly
  • caddess
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →